'This is where it gets complicated. Has Breandan or Conall explained the limits of the Source yet?'
'I can get better at wielding magic with practice, but can never draw more than my limit.' I said, proud of myself for remembering.
'Clever girl, but for you and Breandan the rule no longer applies. You're bonded.'
'Oh,' I said, neatly put in my place. 'I see.'
Ana gazed above and her face was frightened. 'There are three ancient items of magic in the form of golden amulets pure fairies — Priestesses, whose purpose is to keep the balance of life — can wield to make themselves extremely powerful, and become more connected to the Source. For nearly two thousand years the balance was maintained. But then one Priestess forgot her purpose, and it got out of whack. The dark outweighed the light, and things that never should have been possible occurred.' Her face took on a sour look. 'The Rupture was a side effect of her failure. If she was doing job and keeping the balance, it never would have happened. The vampires would have been stopped. But the result of that failure is clear to see, look at the world we live in.'
'You're looking for these amulets,' I said, 'to try and bring back the balance. But Devlin has other plans. It's like a race.'
She nodded. 'A bloody sprint to see who can amass the most power before inevitable war. The grimoire, a book of spells has been in the Tribe's possession since before anyone can remember. It would be horrific if a force of evil was able to open it.' She shuddered delicately in the grass. 'The grimoire is locked, and the key is the three amulets combined, wielded by a pure fairy.'
'Why are you guys so worried then? If you have to be pure to-'
'It doesn't matter which type of pure you are. Pure evil can unlock the book just as pure good can.'
'Who's the dumbass thought that gem up?'
'You did. Rather, one of your past reincarnations did.'
'Ah,' I said.
'Breandan lost an amulet piece this morning. It gives protection to the possessor.' She smiled at a spider scuttling across her leg. She picked it up and held it in her palm, moved her hand this way and that as the hairy brown arachnid searched for a place to get off. 'Its guardian gave it to him for safekeeping as he felt he could no longer conceal it.'
The implications of what she was saying hit home. 'So, the Tribe now has one amulet, and the rebels have-'
'Officially, none,' she said and grimaced. 'Lochlann will not forgive Breandan easily for that screw up. He became its protector, and left it unprotected to run around after you since you got lost. Like I said before, I've saw that sticky spot you slid into with Maeve.'
I scowled darkly. Everyone sounded so ready to bend over and take it from this fairy Lochlann, but I didn't see him risking his hide to guard the amulet piece. Where was he? He was needed here.
Ana set the spider on the grass, and waved goodbye as it scurried away into the undergrowth.
'Rae, the next time we hear strange noises in the forest, what do we do?
'Go the other way,' I mumbled.
'Correct.' She beamed at me. 'Don't worry, all is not lost. We can even the score. There are two more, hidden with their guardians and we'll find them, just you watch.'
I let it all sink in. My hand unconsciously strayed to the pendant, no, the amulet piece lying under my tee shirt. Ana honestly didn't seem to know that I had it. But Conall, Breandan and Devlin did. Ana was a witch and gifted with the Sight. How could she not know that I was a guardian too? Something was off. There were still large gaping holes in the tapestry that was being woven in my mind. Devlin was an evil fairy-lord. Pure evil and he wanted my amulet piece so that he could try to open the grimoire. Lochlann, another bad ass fairy and Breandan's older brother was leading the revolution to bring back the balance, and was therefore fighting against Devlin, which made him the good guy, right? The grimoire was a scary powerful book that Devlin had, but couldn't open because it was locked. Somewhere in the middle of this myself and two other fairies had been chosen as guardians of the key, the amulets. I assume to keep them safe from evil, because though my moral compass was dubious at the best of times, I didn't feel evil, which made me good too, right?
But then why did I not know any of this? Why had I been dumped on the steps of a Temple Priests house, glamoured as a human baby with no memory or knowledge of whom or what I was? Surely, if this amulet were important it would be madness to entrust it to someone who may have just thrown it away one day. Everything was falling into spaces, but some bits didn't fit.
One thing I knew for certain, though I was curious — who wouldn't be — I didn't want a part in any of it. No matter what Ana thought it was too big for me. The whole political battle between the rebels and the Tribe, and the battle between good and evil. The only reason I could see I was a part of it was because of my connection to Breandan. After all, no long lost relative had come forward to claim me.
The macabre tone of my thoughts had me scrambling around my own head for a distraction. 'Uh, the way you talk,' I said, 'you consider yourself part of the fairy rebels?'
She snorted. 'The gods created the Source and we all came from that. I don't care they look different to me. We're made of the same basic stuff.'
'But you're human,' I said stubbornly taking in her normal ears, skin and lack of other limbs. There was no glamour over her; I'd looked hard for it.
'If you want to get technical about it I'm the white witch, but for the most part yeah, human. You are most definitely fairy.'
'So it's true then. All witches are bad? Barring you, I mean.'
Sadness flickered across her expression. 'Fairies are magical. It is the essence of what they are, and for the most part it protects them from influences that can rot a person to the core — jealousy, greed and spite to name a few. Humans who can touch the Source, witches, do not have these natural safeguards.'
'What makes you different?'
'The same thing that makes you different.' Her eyes lingered on my wings. 'The will of the gods.'
Stunned by her knowledge I pried without thinking. 'How old are you?'
'Fifteen.'
I thought back to when I was fifteen three years before. Trying to work out why my body was so developed, and why I didn't want the boys to touch me like the other girls did. I compared myself to this powerful girl and cringed. I went to pull my hood up but at Ana's stern look I rested my fingers on the fabric, and my stomach clenched.
'I am in so much trouble. I don't think I can do this.'
She glared at me with a face of thunder. 'You know what, this 'oh no poor me' routine has to stop, Rae.'
'What?' I wailed. 'I have a right to be upset.'
I raised my palms helplessly and swallowed the excess saliva building in my mouth.
'You don't have time to mope, or be worry about what's coming, because it's already here. Sorry to be the one to break it to you, but it's crunch time. I wish you had more time to prepare, I do, but fact is you don't. You need to face who you are and accept your place beside Breandan. The Tribe has stolen the amulet of protection. They grow more powerful, and now they have one of the four. In many futures you try to run but trouble finds you. If you don't accept this-'
Clamping a hand over my mouth, I leaped up and dashed into a corner before emptying my stomach onto the ground. I heaved until nothing but clear, acidic liquid dribbled from my lips. My mind scuttled over everything and I retched, puking air. Leaning my head on the cool stone I clung to the trailing ivy rooted to the wall, and breathed in the light scent from flowers sprouting in-between the gray bricks.
Pushing away from the wall I swayed back over to Ana. I let my legs give way so I was seated, leaning forward limply.
'Chew this.' She pushed something green into my hand.
I stuffed it in my gob and chomped down. A clean taste exploded in my mouth, down my throat, and into my belly until the nauseated feeling subsided. I spat the wad of green out of my mouth and raised it in my upturned palm.
She motioned to the lump of weedy grass. 'I laid a spell to help you.'
With bigger things to be upset about then a bit of magic, I tossed it and pushed hair out my eyes. 'How am I
